Shoe.



No. 726,940 I PATENTED MAY 5, 1903. H. G. KENWORTHY & W. H. MINGKEMEYBR.SHOE.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 26, 1902.

H0 MODEL.

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UNITED STATES Patented May 5, 1903.

HARRY O. KENWORTHY AND WILLIAM 'H. MINCKEMEYER', OF FORT MADISON, IOWA.

SHOE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 726,940, dated May 5,1903.

Application filed July 26, 1902. Serial No. 117,199. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we,HARRY O. KENWORTHY and WILLIAM H. MINOKEMEYER,citizens of Our invention relates to improvements in boots, shoes,overshoes, and leggings which do not require lacing or unlacing of thearticle before putting it on or removing it from the foot and wherebythe edges of the article may be more readily overlapped or unfastenedthan is possible with the hooks and eyelets now in general use.

Our object is to provide a device of this character which will leave theouter portion of the shoe in a neat and smooth condition, and is equallydesirable for ladies, mens, and childrens shoes because of the absenceof projections of any kind to catch the apparel of the wearer.

With these objects in view the invention may be said to consist incertain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, ashereinafter described, and pointed out in the claim, and in order thatit may be fully understood reference is made to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of the upperportion of the shoe unfastened and the flap thrown back. Fig. 2 showsthe flap closed over the opening. Fig. 3 is a crosssection taken on theline III III of Fig. 2.

In the drawings, 1 designates the upper of the shoe, and 2 the vamp, towhich the upper is sewed in the usual manner. The upper has an opening 3near its front portion adapted to be closed by an overlapping flap 4when in position on the wearers foot. The front edge 5 of the flap isturned inwardly a suitable distance and secured by stitching 6, forminga continuous loop 7 from top to bottom of said flap. Said loop is closedat opposite ends by stitching 8 and 9, and its inner side is providedwith a series of eyelets 10, through which the lacing-cord 11 is passed.The front edge 12 of the opposite side 13 of the opening to placing theshoe on the foot.

' is also turned inwardly a suitable distance and secured by stitching14. to form a continuous loop 15, which, like loop 7, is closed at itsopposite ends by stitching 8 and 9. The latter excludes dirt andmoisture from both loops. I

The outer side of the loop 15 is provided with a series of eyelets 16,preferably one less in number than contained by the flap, in order toleave space at its lower portion for a spiral-spring clamp-fastener 17,to which the lower end of the lacing-cord is attached.

The top of the upper of the shoe is provided. with a similarclamp-fastener 17, secured at a suitable distance to the rear of loop15, so that the flap will not interfere with it, and the upper portionof the lacingcord may be fastened thereto when the opening is closed bythe flap, as shown by Fig. 2, although any other suitable means forsecuring the lacing-cord may be substituted.

After the lower end of the lacing-cord has been secured to the fastenerit is passed up through the eyelets, as shown, and the sides of theopening are drawn. apart preparatory After it is drawn on the wearersimply has to pull on the upper portion of the lacing-cord, whichoperation draws the flap over the opposite side of the opening until theeyelets 10 and 16 register or nearly register, when the cord is clampedunder the spring-fastener 17 thus avoiding the necessity for knots andtying.

By drawing the flap over the opposite side of the opening, as abovedescribed, the tongue usually employed in lace-shoes may be dispensedwith, as the flap excludes dust and rain or snow from the opening. Itwill also be noticed when the shoe is laced that only the-upper portionof one lacing-cord is exposed, and the rest of it being protected bythe. loops will prolong its wearing qualities indefinitely.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, 'is- In a shoe open at its front portion, aclosure therefor comprising a flap adapted to cover the opening, uprightloops along the free edge In testimony whereof we affix our signaturesin the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY G. KENWORTHY. WILLIAM H. MINOKEMEYER.

Witnesses:

W. A. MENDENHALL, H. F. WHITMAN.

